BLM exodus: Agency loses half of DC staff slated for relocation

The Hill ^ | 03 05 2020 | Rebecca Beitsch

[yesthatjallen]

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has lost more than half of its Washington-based employees who were slated to move out West as the agency pushes ahead with a controversial plan to relocate staff.

New internal numbers from the Interior Department obtained by The Hill show 69 employees have left the agency rather than accept the new assignment. Another 18 left after the plans were announced but before they could be reassigned.

Those 87 employees outnumber the 80 who have agreed to the move.

The figures are at odds with the ones referenced in December by acting BLM Director William Perry Pendley, who said in an email that roughly two-thirds of staffers had agreed to move.

“This is a huge brain drain,” said Steve Ellis, who retired from BLM’s top career-level post in 2018. “There is a lot of really solid expertise walking out the door.”

The Interior Department, which oversees BLM, did not immediately respond to request for comment.

SNIP

[bert]

precisely.

Brain drain is actually dead wood disposal.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Next the FBI needs to be relocated to Fargo.

[Antoninus]

This is outstanding. Decentralizing the FedGov from DC is a win.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Solid expertise my butt. BLM is a bunch of thugs. The whole agency needs to be shuttered.

[SuperLuminal]

"I know of a fed that used to run his own heating and air conditioning company out of his cubicle. He took the day off whenever he had a job. This was about 20 years ago."

Yep... Had a friend who, in 1982, had two different typists, each running their own little side business from their office... One ran a maid/house cleaning service... The other was a DC real estate saleswoman... When he tried to make them stop and threatened to fire them, he recieved a reprimand and they were promoted to another part of the agency...

[Oatka]

Hope those who are are coming out West won't be more of these guys, who paid a visit to the Bundy Ranch a while back.

[joma89]

Sounds like 87 good jobs for salt of the earth Americans in the west while 87 probable leftists go unemployed.

JoMa

[OKSooner]

Good news, but... moving exactly where?